This invention relates to improvements in apparatus and methods for stacking flexible material such as neckties and the like.
In the manufacture of neckties, cloth having the desired appearance is cut into patterns which are wider than the finished necktie. The extra width allows the two sides to be folded back and connected with a longitudinal seam.
Prior to seaming, the ends of the necktie material are provided with what is known as "tipping", which serves as a lining for both the wide and narrow tips of the necktie. The tipping additionally aids in the formation of the desired points on the ends of the necktie.
It is known for tipping to be applied by automatic sewing apparatus. For instance sewing apparatus as manufactured by Kochs Adler A. G. of Bielefeld, West Germany, Adler's Models Nos. 971 and 972.
In the Adler apparatus, a central carousel unit has six outwardly radiating templates. An operator sits at the Adler machine with a supply of tipping fabric and tie fabric close at hand. The carousel rotates in stages of 60.degree., so that each rotation presents a new template directly in front of the operator. The operator positions the end of the tie fabric and the tipping material in the template. Alternate ones of the templates are sized for wide ends of ties and narrow ends of ties.
Thus an operator may start with a wide end tipping material and wide end tie fabric, which he or she positions in the wide end template. The central portion of the tie fabric extending from the wide end is allowed to drape loosely around the central portion of the carousel. Then the operator causes the carousel to rotate by 60.degree. and the narrow end of the tie fabric and its tipping material are inserted in the narrow end template. As the carousel continues to rotate, a sewing machine sews the tie fabric and tipping material which protrude from the outer periphery of the templates and a trimming machine cuts off excess material and severs the sewing thread. Upon further rotation of the carousel, the templates open and the tie is available for removal. Heretofore this removal has been performed manually.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus by which the ties can be removed from the Adler tie tipping machine without requiring human intervention.
It is known to provide automatic machinery for removing sewn goods from sewing machines. For instance, such apparatus is disclosed in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.
3,537,702, Kosrow et al. PA1 3,675,604, Frost PA1 3,695,195, Frost PA1 3,701,328, Frost PA1 4,102,284, Rohr
None of the prior U.S. patents disclose a method or apparatus suggestive of the present invention.
In particular, none of the above cited patents provide for gripping the sewn material in two locations to remove it from the sewing machine and stack it neatly.
The orderly stacking of the sewn goods is particularly important because further operations must be carried out to complete the necktie manufacturing process and a neat and orderly presentation of the workpieces to later operators in the manufacturing process increases the speed with which they can function.
Thus it has been found that the use of the apparatus of the present invention increases production rates surprisingly. Not only is the need for manual removal of ties from the Adler machine eliminated, but also the speed with which later production steps can be carried out is increased. Furthermore, it has been found that operators of the Adler tie tipping machines tend to increase their production rates when the present invention is employed to remove and stack the tipped ties, even though the invention is used downstream of their operations.